Time of Terror
by Elves Muse
Summary: **CHAPTER 5 UP** Time travel, death, danger and a sexy Draco-look-alike. All happen to Hermione before twenty. What is going to be her next adventure?
1. Ron Wakes

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. 

Elves Note: This story is one of my darker ones, you'll see a bunch of angst and smites of suspense, along with that a mystery. Personally I love the beginning, but mostly I hope you enjoy! Please read and review so I know what I'm doing right and wrong.

~

"Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no…" Hermione thought as she raced up the stairs at Hogwarts, her billowing satin gray cloak flowing over her business suit like water might against a dolphin. "I'm late!"  
  
There were no students in the halls; class had begun five minutes ago. How Hermione could have lost track of time like that was beyond her. But then, the library was always cozy, even when she was a student. Stopping for a moment before the classroom door, Hermione blinked, running a hand nervously through her hair out of habit. Having cut it short after seventh year, she was now used to not feeling it cascading down her back, but only a few inches off her skull.  
  
Swallowing, Hermione opened the door with a flick of her wand, and her brown eyes gazed across the room.  
  
Inside, Professor Longbottom's Defense Against the Dark Arts students sat patiently in their seats. Professor Longbottom himself was standing; fidgeting at the chalkboard while the chalk zoomed across back and forth. It said, "Doctor Granger to Visit".  
  
"Welcome Doctor Granger," Neville said haltingly. He reminded her of Quirrell before Voldemort, stuttering incoherently. His seventh year had scarred him for life. The question was, who hadn't been?  
  
"Thank you Professor," Hermione said with a curt smile. She then turned to the students. "Are you all seventh years?" Heads nodded in agreement, and she saw Denis Creevey and some other familiar faces waving at her from the back. She smiled and turned back her attention to the rest of the class. "Now, the reason I am here today is to discuss with you--"  
  
The door opened again, and everyone turned to see who it was. Hermione had never seen this student before; he must have been a first year. A tall and skinny boy, he had black hair and blue eyes. The hair was messy, and for a moment Hermione cringed as she thought of Harry.  
  
"'Scuse me Professor, but Headmistress needs to see Dr. Granger ASAP." Neville nodded and walked over to Hermione.  
  
"I can explain it myself; it just won't be as thorough. Don't worry Hermione. Go ahead."  
  
~  
  
"Yes Headmistress?" Hermione was in the McGonagall's office. Much different from the last time she was here, the room had been converted from fitting Dumbledore to McGonagall. Never thought she would see the day, Hermione was curious and looking all over the room.  
  
Fawkes was gone. Dumbledore's picture was added to the collection of Headmasters and Headmistresses on the wall. Most of them were putting their heads on their hands in discomfort or grogginess. McGonagall turned her dignified face to Hermione's, still unchanging after nine years of knowing the latter. Her eyes were troubled and there were more wrinkles than usual.  
  
"Miss Granger, we just got urgent news from St. Mungo's. Mr. Weasley just woke up."  
  
~  
  
Ginny Weasley walked down the tile floor of St. Mungo's, her high heels making an echo in the silent hallway. Brushing away a strand of burning red hair, she stopped at the last door in the hallway.  
  
"Number four-fifty…Ron's Room." Ginny took out a letter full of scribbled writing out, glanced at the text, and opened the door. Inside, the whole Weasley clan was there, crying, hugging, and talking amiably. George and Fred where on either side of Ron's bed, talking amiably about how their business had prospered over the past two years.  
  
"Fred! George! Ron just woke up! He doesn't want to know how you're business has been doing!" Percy stomped over, his face tear-streaked and his hair all over.  
  
"Of course he doesn't. He wants to know about how you've just been promoted. Right Percy?" Bill replied, nudging Charlie in the ribs. The two burst out laughing.  
  


"Come on now, stop it you two," Mrs. Weasley jumped in before Percy exploded. Obviously they all had been here for a while.  
  
"Ginny," Ron smiled, and the others turned their attention. She moved forward and hugged Ron, then turned to each member of her family and gave them all a hug. As she was letting go of Mr. Weasley, the door opened again. Hermione, her short hair windblown as much as was possible, ran in and hugged Ron. Starting to sob, Hermione clutched him while squeezing her eyes shut. Two years of agonizing pain and no one to share it with. Not since…

"Lets leave them for a few minutes…" Mrs. Weasley ushered her children and husband out into the hallway. Ron looked up at Hermione with glistening eyes. 

"What's wrong Herm? Where's Harry?" Hermione said nothing. Ron's eyes grew huge and full of tears. "He's not…no, you've got to be…Hermione…No!" 

Hermione closed her eyes, bit her lip and hung her head as tears streamed as if they were leaking from a broken faucet. A shiver ran through her as Ron stifled a sob. His mouth was open in shock, and he ran a hand through his longer, tangled hair.

Hermione swallowed before she spoke. "After you were knocked out… Harry and I were alone, alone with You-Know-Who. Of course Harry had been given permission to use Av…Avada Kedavra on He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, seeing as how the Ministry knew that…that Voldemort would be coming after him for the last time."

Ron winced at the sound of the name, but said nothing. Hermione almost smiled at the memory of Harry telling her not to use 'You-Know-Who', but Voldemort's real name.

"As Harry protected me, he shouted the curse and hit Voldemort. Then, he shouted the spell we made, the spell that we thought of to kill him. It would have worked, but…"

"You-Know-Who struck first?" Ron whispered, not trusting his voice.

"Harry's… our spell hit him just as Voldemort shouted Avada Kedavra at him… I was alone."

"Hermione…" Ron was crying openly now with no sound. "What did You-Know-Who hit me with?"

"They still don't know. Its what I've been studying for the past two years as a MediWizard. They think it's going to be made another Unforgivable Curse. They call it _The Inside Death_. It causes the unfortunate soul that's hit with it to go into magic induced slumber, unable to be woken by magic or Muggle methods; like coma. The part that makes it an Unforgivable Curse is that it eventually causes your organs to cave in. I guess you just have to wake up on your own. You were lucky Ron; you woke up before it started to eat away at your heart. They'll fix you up soon, but until then, just stay in bed." Hermione, who had gained face through her explanation, took one look at the whitened Ron and took a great sigh. "This is all new to you. But I've been dealing with it for the past two years."

"Two years?"

"Yes."

"I've got to catch up with the Cannons."

~

Out in the hallway Ginny was pacing. Every once in a while she took out the crinkled piece of paper and glanced at the scribbled writing. The rest of the Weasleys were sitting in their respective places, each quiet in thought. The hallway was bright, as if to cheer, but it did no good. The intense lights only spread dark shadows in corners and beneath feet.

Finally the door opened. Hermione, her hair tamed somewhat, walked out in her business suit and silvery cloak. She looked much like she did when she stepped out of the very same room two years ago, only now much more awake and lively. Ginny got a flashback…

…"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley…I'm afraid that Ron is not going to be ok for a very long time…" Ginny's parents had burst into tears that they had held back for about twenty minutes.

"What is the diagnosis?" Charlie put in. Bill was off doing Gringotts business and had not been able to hear about it in time.

"They don't know what it is, but evidently there is some sort of magic surrounding him. If they try to heal the damage the magic is causing, they'll only make it worse. He's going to have to wake up on his own. The doctors speculate five to ten years…"

"FIVE TO TEN YEARS?" Mrs. Weasley burst out, her hair was in disarray, and her cheeks were flushed. "He could be DEAD by then!"

"Molly, dear, shouting will help no one…" Mr. Weasley looked at his downtrodden wife, silent tears streaming down his face.

"He's right Mum," Percy sighed. He looked down at the white tile, shuffling his feet as his neck turned blotchy. It seemed to do that when he was extremely upset, or nervous.

It all seemed too much for Hermione. She burst into tears and ran away, down the hall, sobbing.

"Out of all of us she seems to be suffering the worst…" George commented, staring into space at nothing in particular…

…"He's going to be fine…" Hermione smiled. Everyone let out sighs of relief, especially Mrs. Weasley, who let out a sob of excitement. "They've made miraculous advancements on how to keep the patients stable, but it was Ron's courage and durability that kept him alive."

"Thank you so much for coming Hermione." Fred smiled, the old mischievous glint returning to his eye.

"Yeah Hermione, you've been really great." George added. "You've been through it all with us. No matter what you were doing…" Hermione shrugged, blushing furiously.

"No problem. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm afraid I must be off."

"Hermione-" Ginny interrupted. "I…I have something for you. I know its not the best time, but perhaps we could go somewhere private?" Everyone looked at the Weasley girl with curious glances. Hermione however, seemed to find this completely normal and followed her friend down the hall.

~

"What do you need Gin?" Hermione asked, sitting down on one of the chairs stored in the empty hospital room.

"Hermione… I've got something for you. I just got it the other day, and I really think you should look at it. It's from…It's from Harry." Ginny sat down, her long red hair shimmering in the dim light. Hermione just laughed, rolling her eyes as a mother would at her little child, but inside she began to quiver.

"Ginny, you know Harry is dead." 

"I'm not doing this to open wounds! Don't you think this is hard for me too?" Ginny thrust out the paper she had clenched in her palm. "Look at this!" Her expression was solemn as Hermione grabbed the paper. Still rolling her eyes, the latter opened the document and smoothed it on her pant leg.

Hermione only gasped when she saw what it was.


	2. Have A Nice Trip...

It's the perfect time of year

Somewhere far away from here

I feel fine enough I guess

Considering everything's a mess

There's a restaurant down the street

Where hungry people like to eat

I could walk but I'll just drive

It's colder than it looks outside

          Seamus Finnigan turned up the radio in his old Four x Four, humming along with one of his favorite songs. 

It's like a dream you try to remember but it's gone

Then you try to scream, but it only comes out as a yawn

When you try to see the world beyond your front door

Take your time, 'cause the way I rhyme's 

Gonna make you smile

When you realize that a guy my size might take a while

Just try to figure out what all this is for

It's the perfect time of day

To throw all your cares away

Put the sprinkler on the lawn 

And run through with my gym shorts on

Take a drink right from the hose

Change in to some drier clothes

Climb the stairs up to my door

And sleep away the afternoon

          Seamus laughed as he screeched out the words. He was reduced to listening to Muggle music… something his Muggle sister Mace had drilled into him. She was a Barenaked Ladies fanatic, even going as far to make her father take her to the concert in the United States. Seamus chuckled again, but then he remembered why he was in the old Four x Four and sobered up. The graduated wizard was on his way to visit his girlfriend Elle, who was, in fact, a Muggle. It must run in my family, Seamus thought, me mum was a witch, married my dad who was a Muggle. Me grandmum was a Muggle, me granpappy was a wizard…what a mixed up family I come from!

It's like a dream you try to remember but it's gone

Then you try to scream but it only comes out as a yawn

When you try to see the world beyond your front door

Take your time, 'cause the way I rhyme's gonna make you smile

When you realize that a guy my size might take a while

Just try to figure out what all this is for

          Elle was in London for a visit to her mother in the hospital, who was deathly ill from cancer. Seamus would love to help Lela out, but in order to do so he must reveal he was a wizard. But that was beside the point. This visit was much less pleasant, as Seamus planned to tell Elle that he wanted to break up with her.

Pinch me, pinch me 'cause I'm still asleep

Please God tell me that I'm still asleep

          Becoming depressed, Seamus slowed to a stop at the red light. His father had taught him to drive after he had turned sixteen, saying that if he wanted to function between worlds he needed to become sufficient in the ways of Muggle transportation. 'I don't want my boy to become ignorant!'  John had said.

On an evening such as this

It's hard to tell if I exist

If I pack the car and leave this town

Who'll notice that I'm not around?

I could hide out under there

I just made you say underwear

I could leave, but I'll just stay

All my stuff's here anyway

          The unwillingness to compromise: that's why Seamus wanted to break up with Elle. They had just gotten in a huge fight over where they were going to vacation. To vacation! Seamus had just been promoted, and with the money he wanted to take his serious girlfriend out for a break. With her mother… Seamus didn't even want to think about the pain she might be going through. Despite everything though, wasn't he doing the right thing? Cutting it off if they couldn't even agree on where to vacation? It would end in misery anyway…Seamus was just saving her from more hurt…or so he wanted to think.

It's like a dream you try to remember but it's gone

Then you try to scream, but it only comes out as a yawn

When you try to see the world beyond your front door

Take your time, cause the way I rhyme's gonna make you smile

When you realize that a guy my size might take a while

Just try to figure out what all this is for

          Pulling into the hospital visitor's lot, Seamus shut off his Irish green vehicle and stepped out. He was wearing a gray wool sweater with black dress pants that made him look relaxed yet refined. His sandy blonde hair, grown out, was pulled back into a ponytail that curled at the tip. His dark skin, tanned from working in the sun on his dad's farm, made most of Seamus' freckles stand out more than ever. He hoped he didn't look too upset; this was not exactly the place to break up with someone.

          Stuffing his hands in his pockets like a nervous schoolboy, Seamus began the walk towards the tall hospital.

~

          "Hey Elle," Seamus smiled. Elle, her long blonde hair swaying as she turned, smiled and walked over to her boyfriend. She reached out for a hug, but as she grasped him a thread from her expensive silk shirt got caught on a chair. It snagged, and she pulled away.

          "Shit!" She cried, "This was expensive!" Forgetting about Seamus, Elle turned her attention to her silver shirt. It wasn't damaged badly, just a little tear. "Seamus…I'm having a bad day. First my office calls and says they can't let me take any more family crisis days, then my flight to Japan is canceled because the deal is off, and now this…" 

          Seamus squinted his eyes as she continued, suddenly realizing how selfish she was in the light of her position. Her mother was dying and all Elle could think of was her shirt!

          "… But I'm so glad you're here…" Elle's small, wispy gray eyes swept over Seamus'. "What's wrong?"

          "Elle…can I talk to you outside?" Seamus bit his lip, unsure how to continue as the rehearsed explanation fled from his mind. They turned and walked out of the waiting room into the cloudy overcast in the hospital gardens. Elle reached for Seamus' hand, but he shrugged her off.

          "Honey, what's wrong? Are you still mad at me for that little argument?" Little… laughed Seamus… You kicked me out of our apartment!

          "Actually, yes. Elle, we need to break up." Seamus winced at how cold it sounded, but his temper flared as he saw Elle looking at her shirt again.

          "Oh, I'm sorry dear, what was that you were saying?"

          "I'm breaking up with you, I don't want to be your boyfriend anymore!" Seamus said angrily, narrowing his eyes to slits.

          "What…!" Elle's face went white. She gulped as she cried, "why?"

          Because I realized how stuck-up you are… "Because we're going in different directions. That's why."

          "Well fine!" Her face went from white to red in a matter of seconds. Seamus could see a vein pop out of her neck. "You are such a slut, I should have listened to Nicole!"

          "What?" Seamus looked taken aback. "Nicole? When did you talk to her?"

          Elle looked around coyly. "Yesterday…" Seamus sighed. 

          "Whatever. I packed your things; I sent 'em to your mother's place. Good-bye Elle, it was nice knowing you."

          "Seamus… you know I was going to break up with you anyway…you have a reputation you know? Lets see, I'm only number eight am I? Number eight in two years." Seamus stopped cold, his back stiffening. Without turning, he retorted, "So you've been counting have you? Its amazing the things a girl will do…" And he walked away, not listening to the cries Elle was screaming at him, to the annoyance of the elderly out for a stroll in the gardens.

~

          Lela lay in her white hospital bed, closing her eyes and almost falling asleep as the beep, beep, and beep of the heart monitor chorused.

          "Mrs. Glass, you have a letter," an attendant walked in the room, pausing to see if she was asleep.

          "Bring it here Sam, there's a good lad…" Lela took the note from him and opened it. The chicken scratch could only be identified as Seamus', but her joy faded as she read what it said. 

          "He's leaving her…" Lela said aloud. "Good-bye Seamus, dear, I'm glad I met you." With that, she threw the note in the garbage, closing her eyes and slowly drifting into a deep sleep.

~

          Seamus walked up the steps, staring at his old leather boots. He had changed into his old Hogwarts robes just for fun, but he now realized they were about an inch short. Seamus' growing had not ended quite yet.

          "Ahem." A sneer even in his voice, Draco stood up at the top of the stairs. "So Finnigan, returning to your roots?"

          "What do you mean by that Malfoy?"

          Draco put a hand on his hip. 

          "What are you two doing here?" A light voice came from behind Draco as Seamus reached the top of the stairs. Both turned to see Hermione, her hair disheveled and her robes wrinkled, but her eyes bright. Draco sneered and gave her a haughty look as she rushed forward.

            Seamus saw it all in one motion. Draco slowly put a toe forward on the stairs right as Hermione slowed to a stop. Not seeing the black leather boot, she stumbled and flew forward, straight into Seamus. The two plunged backward down the stairs, finally landing heavily at the bottom. When Seamus, recovered from the initial shock, looked up to see if Hermione was ok, he found she was gone.


	3. The Ruins

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. 

Elves Note: Sorry if some of you find this confusing, I'm concentrating on making it stick to the plot line. I know this chapter is much shorter, but I had little ideas and wanted to see what everyone thought. As always, please read and review!

~

Hermione felt Seamus stop rolling down beside her on the bottom of the stairwell. She started to get up, but suddenly felt the magical sensation of being brought back through time… or was it forward?

"Oh no." 

Swirling colors about her showed that Hogwarts was quickly moving some way in time. Students rushed past in almost light speed, yet seemed to move slowly. With the motion, Hermione was starting to get dizzy. So dizzy in fact, she fainted.

~

Seamus gaped for the longest time at where Hermione must have fallen. Then, with slow-motion movement, he turned back to look up at Draco.

"What happened to her?" He stuttered, staring at the former with utter amazement. "What happened?"

Draco, for his part looked completely unsurprised. "She got what was coming to her." Suddenly, his eyes rolled in the back of his head, and he fell forward right before the first step. Seamus looked up, expecting to see Neville or even one of the older students. However, it was Harry. Harry Potter.

~

Hermione woke with a migraine that made her hand feel like it only had a scratch. Her hand made her foot feel like it had only a paper cut. In short, Hermione felt like shit. Lifting her head without opening her eyes, she pushed herself in a sitting position and opened her eyes.

What she saw amazed her. 

The castle interior she had been expecting was totally blown away. She was lying on a small bit of remaining stone floor amid a chaotic mess. The hall seemed to be blown apart! It reminded Hermione much of the ancient Mayan Ruins she had seen in her travels, crumbling and a sore sight to see.

"Surprising, isn't it?" a voice behind her spoke. It sounded sad, regretful, and lonely. Slowly, as not to cause pain, Hermione turned around to see who had spoken.

It was…Draco?

"What are you doing here?" She asked. He looked just a bit older, sadder, and more pleasant. He was very handsome, just as Hermione had always he would look in about his mid-twenties. His face wasn't lined with stress-wrinkles, his eyes were just as bright, and his teeth were pearl-white. His pale blonde hair was cut short; it was actually a buzz cut, army style. 

"The same reason you are: to find out the truth. Right…?" Hermione looked at him again. This wasn't Draco! His face was rounder, less pointy, and his eyes were brown. How she didn't realize it before was beyond her, but maybe it was the concussion.

"Hermione. Hermione Granger." 

"I'm Ciro Malfoy. I'm surprised you don't know me… when are you from?" The non-Draco asked. Hermione was surprised for a moment when he said when and not where. 

"1999, last time I checked. You?"

"Ah, that's it. I wasn't born yet. Heheh," the way Ciro laughed made Hermione uncomfortable, it wasn't the same haughty laugh that Draco had... He seemed, so familiar, yet so different. "I'm twenty-five, and I'm from 2026. That would explain why you haven't heard of me. See, then I'm a big star. I sing." For some reason, Hermione felt a big shock of disappointment. She couldn't quite place it.

"Where are we now… I mean, where in time are we now?" Ciro pulled a time turner out from under his loose, white shirt. He dangled it out in front of her until she pulled out hers from under her gray suit. It was almost like revealing her deepest secret, but Hermione imagined that Ciro already knew.

"I really have no idea. I imagine sometime in the future, Hogwarts is still in existence in 2026." That settled it. She was sitting in the ruins of the famous school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.


	4. The Mystery Continues

Disclaimer: Don't own a thing, save for the plot and the original characters, and it's going to stay that way. 

Elves Note: This has taken me forever to write; hopefully the next chapter will come much more easily. Thanks for sticking with me, please R & R. Flames will be used to warm my feet.

Draco awoke with a throbbing pain in his skull and tenderness in his neck. He also awoke at the top of the stone, carpeted stairs, leaning precariously over the edge. Surprised, for the first time in a long time, he scrambled back furiously. He could hear his heart beating irregularly and felt his hair fly all over, but for the moment, he didn't care. 

"Draco could have landed in the hospital wing." He muttered, converting to third person speech, as always when he was upset or scared. As always, it didn't happen too often. 

"Draco could have landed in the hospital wing? Is that what you said, dear?" A silky voice behind him made Draco turn so quickly he became dizzy, and made him see little spots in front of his eyes. He swore as soon as he saw who it was, relieved. "Draco doesn't sound too healthy right now. Maybe Draco should go take a nap, or better yet, a nice long bath." 

"What do you want?"

"Come on Draco, dear, you know what I want. I want you to settle down and stop with the fainting at the top of the stairs. Its quite dramatic, and so unlike you." 

"Oh no, I'm actually suffering from schizophrenia and delusions that I'm not actually myself, that I'm one of the aliens living in the suits of armor. With this delusion, I tried to fit into the suit of armor's helmet, but fell backward and landed here. Thank you for your concern of my well-being."

"Whatever you say dear." The silky, seductive voice, along with the person speaking, seemed to fade away as Draco closed his eyes, exhaling so the silvery hair in front of his eyes fluttered. "Whatever you say. Oh, and by the way. Great trick, she's gone and so are the problems. You're going to be fine." 

Draco stood, feeling groggy and frustrated, rubbing his hands over his eyes and walking backwards. Finally, he turned back around and headed towards the Great Hall, his steps echoing throughout the stairwell.

~

Charlie laughed, "And then, we found out that he had schizophrenia, so he wasn't talking to dragons after all, he was talking to himself!"

The entire Weasley clan seemed to erupt with laughter as Ginny entered the hospital room once again. "Hey…" She gave hugs and kisses to everyone, ending up with Ron. She sat down next to him, crossed her legs, and put her head in her hands. "What did I miss?"

"Oh not much, Charlie was just entertaining us with stories from Romania." Bill smiled, running a hand through his free flowing hair.

"And I was just about to leave." Percy stood, much to the groans of no one but his mother.

"Oh, Percy. Do you really have to go?" Mrs. Weasley stood up and gave her son a hug. She patted his back as he sighed heavily.

"Yes Mother. I'm afraid that now Ron is ok, there is no need for me to put off my work at the Ministry." Percy gave his father a hug, said good-bye to everyone else, and left the room. Instantly Fred gave a chuckle.

"I wonder if he's really going to the Ministry?"

"Fred! What are you implying?" George looked appalled, even managing to hold back the smirk that everyone knew was going to appear on his face. 

"I dunno. It was just a thought." Ginny smiled at this remark, her brothers were definitely happy with life, especially now that their business was thriving and Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was a household name. Suddenly, among the success of her family, Ginny felt inferior. Every one of her siblings had done something great. Fred and George: They had started a joke shop. Charlie: He was famous for his work with dragons. Bill was almost head of the security at Gringotts. Percy was rising quickly in the Ministry, and even Ron was continually saving the world.

The most life-altering incident Ginny had ever done was killing a bunch of chickens and writing in red paint on the walls of Hogwarts. Even then she wasn't doing it; someone else was making her.

But all that was about to change… 

~

Hermione was getting sunburn. Ever since taking off her cloak and long sleeved jacket, the hot sun began to beat down on her. She could feel the warmth in her cheeks too, the unpleasant sensation of pain as she pressed her hands against them.

Ciro, however, looked like nothing could touch him. His face was still lightly bronzed, his tall, lean figure rippling with muscles under the loose, white tee shirt. Even though he wasn't extremely burly, it was still enough to make a woman drool.

"So…" Ciro continued. "Do you have a boyfriend, or something, back home?"

"No…" Hermione admitted. "Do you have a girlfriend, or something, back home?"

"No."

"Ironic. Two single people from absolutely different time periods stuck together in the middle of a secluded clearing of forest. What to do?" Hermione laughed.

"We're not stuck… I assume Hogsmeade is still just down the road?"

"I wouldn't know. Maybe whatever got Hogwarts, got the village?"

"Might as well find out." Ciro began walking, taking long strides toward the old path that lead to the town. Hermione quickly gathered herself up and started to follow him.

The Forbidden Forest loomed around them, not changing in however long they had traveled to the future. The couple could hear sounds of animals, non-animals and magical beings bellowing into the darkness. Dark leaves, like a black oval diamonds, glittered with recent rainwater. The bark of the trees was even sinister, scratched away by something to make long jagged lines, creating patterns that looked like demons' faces… or worse. Hermione had seen too many bad things in this forest to not at least get a little spooked. 

"Ciro?" She mumbled. "Can we go a little faster? I'm getting a bit… jumpy." There was no reply, and then she heard a grunt from behind her. Hermione turned, and screamed.


	5. Founders

**DISCLAIMER:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. This work contains quotes from movies and television shows, including but not limited to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Friends, Scooby Doo, Sinbad, Everworld, and Charmed. Other citations can be made where necessary. I collect funny quotes, and don't always know where they come from—feel free to tell me if you know.  
**Elves notes:** After the last chapter I took a much-needed break from writing.  Along the time I realized that the past few chapters needed reviewing, that they didn't align to the eventual ending, so I changed them. Please reread if it gets confusing.

~

Hermione clawed at her face, looking at the huge spider with utmost terror. The body of the Acromantula was at least ten feet tall, and two of its black, hairy legs held Ciro close to the clicking pincers. The man was undoubtedly frozen, his mouth opened wide in a silent scream.

          Then instincts kicked in. She fumbled around her pockets for her wand. There was no spell that she knew of that killed the Acromantula; She would have to use a spell to slow the thing down. 

          "_Impedimenta!_" The spell hit the giant spider on the underbelly, where apparently the magical repellant was weakest. Immediately it froze, and the creaking pincers stopped. Ciro immediately wrenched the pincers away and fell the semi-short distance to the ground. Walking over to an extremely old tree, he retched up some blue liquid. 

          "Any spell to kill it?" Ciro sputtered as he used the back of his hand to wipe away some spit. 

          "If I did, do you think I would have used it?" Hermione turned. Ciro gave her a withering glance, but she remained unwithered. "Anyways, we got to get out of here. The Impedimenta spell is only temporary. Are you ok?"

          "I'm not ok on an epic scale. Those things are not commonplace in 2026." Ciro stood up to his full height, towering over Hermione. He motioned towards the arachnid. "What do we do with it?"

          "We make sure it doesn't follow us. _Petrificus Totalus._" The creature's legs snapped together, and eventually it fell to the ground with a heavy thud. "C'mon, lets get going."

          The pair continued down the path, the sun quickly fading towards sunset. The only noise that was made was the occasional creaking and groaning of the trees, leaves rustling and the soft footfalls of the two humans. Neither made any attempt to make conversation, but didn't really mind the hush.

Then, after about ten more minutes of walking, a sudden smell of baking bread reached their noses, and the noises of Hogsmeade reached welcome ears. The forest began to clear, and Hermione gasped. The houses were not of the future, as she had expected, but of the _past_.

Homes and buildings were made of logs and mud, their roofs thatched and windows covered with papyrus. The people were dressed like the people of the Renaissance; soft, low-crowned, broad-brimmed hats; scarves over hair; long, multicolored dresses; aprons; buckled shoes; and rough wool suits. Hermione backed behind a house, thinking of what these people would think of her if they saw her. She was still dressed in her suit and robes, and surely pants on a woman would not fly with these ancient people. Ciro was no better, wearing metallic gray pants and a loose white shirt under his robes of green.

Then she saw it. A clothesline filled with the undistinguished outfits. They were a bit wet, but that could be helped. Hermione motioned to her companion to watch her back, and then she zipped over and stole the clothes. 

"I think I've got everything," Hermione, not noticing the look that Ciro was giving her. She started walking towards a clump of trees.

"You wanna go _back_ in there?" Ciro said, aghast. 

"Do you wanna change out here, where everyone and anyone could see us?" Hermione said, glancing at him with what was unmistakably bewilderment. 

"Well, no…" 

"Ok. You take that side; I take this side. No peeking." With that, she threw a bundle of clothes at Ciro and turned back into the forest.  Fifteen minutes later, they both returned looking like completely different people. Hermione had braided her hair and put it up, hiding it with a bonnet. 

"You look good," Ciro said.

"You're not too bad yourself. All right, here's the plan. I'm going to go visit with the locals and find out what year it is. Then, I'm going back to my time and getting out of this mess." Her companion felt a pang of disappointment. _Well, what did you expect? Her to stay here forever? You too, need to go home._

"That's me as well. I didn't come here purposely." Ciro shifted his feet. The shoes were two sizes too small. Hermione looked at him as if for the first time.

"Really? I never figured. How did you…?"

"I took a wild trip down the stairs. You?" 

"That's me as well," Hermione admitted, using his phrase. Then, she shook her head slowly. "Let's go. I'm sure we'll be welcome…" But she didn't sound very sure at all. 

They walked into town, Hermione trying to act more ladylike than she usually did. The small crowd bustled around them, oblivious to the newcomers. As she looked around, Hermione saw that the village had originally been in a completely different order. There was no Honeydukes, Shrieking Shack, or Zonko's, but where The Three Broomsticks would eventually be, there was a small pub called The Demiguise. The people seemed to walk right past it, not paying it any attention. Then, a shady character slipped in the wooden door. It was much like The Leaky Cauldron, back at London.

"C'mon," Hermione whispered, and ushered Ciro inside. It was much like the pub Hermione knew, but with a few changes. There was no mirror above the bar, and many of the booths had been removed to add rooms, and a section had been converted to a kitchen. The Demiguise was obviously an inn. 

Hermione and Ciro sat down at the bar, and motioned for the bartender to walk over. He was handsome, but his hands were far too large for his body and his teeth were yellow. 

"Hallo. It's nice to see some new faces in Hodsmate," He smiled at them, speaking in garbled English and Latin. The pair could hardly make it out. Hermione looked at him. 

"Hodsmate?" She asked, before biting her tongue. She must have gone back centuries… but it still didn't explain Hogwarts. It was an interesting mystery; she had to admit; however she wanted to go home. 

"Yes. Didn't ya see the sign? We're just a starter village… um," the bartender looked cautious. "Are you both… wizards?" Hermione looked uncertain towards Ciro. He too, looked wary. If this man _was_ a wizard, than her secret was safe with him. But if he wasn't, there was a very good chance that she would be running from persecution. Then, the man did something very unexpected.

He laughed.

"A course ya are! How else would you find the Demiguise? My name is Gryffindor. Godric Gryffindor. I come from the moors. And you?" Hermione looked at the bartender with new interest. She was _looking_ and _talking_ to a future founder of Hogwarts!

"My name is Ciro Malfoy, my companion is Hermione Granger. We come from… a place far away," Ciro spoke up. He looked at Godric with what could only be admiration. "What are your plans in Hogs—Hodsmate?"

"Well," Godric began whispering. "I came here to convert this village." 

"Convert?"

"Why yes. Make it an entire wizarding village… a place for our kind to stay without fear. Some friends I met from abroad are going to help me. Salazar Slytherin, Helga Hufflepuff, and Rowena Ravenclaw."

Ciro's mouth was an **O**, as was Hermione's. The four founders were-

"Here? You're all here?" Godric looked confused. Hermione stopped herself before she continued. She was muddling in history here, the one thing she had sworn not to do when she had gotten the Time Turner from the Ministry. The Time Turner that she supposedly was only supposed to use for-

"What do you mean, we're all here. Do you know of us?"

"Know of you? Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw? Why, you're the best wizards of this time!" Ciro exclaimed. He looked star-struck, and he would have gone on if Hermione hadn't elbowed him in the rib.

"Pardon, but I must speak with my colleague." They walked over to a table that was in the corner. "What do you think you're doing?"


End file.
